Deception
by Pika-Thunder
Summary: When Rima was kidnapped, she had been scarred for life. However, there was a certain aspect about her kidnapping that had been erased from her memory. When she remembers this, Rima's life changes drastically, and the Rima that everyone knew and loved will never be the same. What was this memory that she forgot? How will it change everything? Rated T for language. RimaHiko? Perhaps.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everybody. So, here I am, a student in the ninth grade, taking many tests and having a plethora of homework. I barely have time to update. Of course, my mind tends to differ, providing me with this wonderful idea that I find myself ****having to write despite already working on other stories. Part of the inspiration comes from a television show called Firefly which is amazing and you should all watch. So, here goes! I sincerely hope that you all enjoy. I own nothing, and please leave a review when you complete this chapter!**

When a traumatic experience occurs in your life, it is not something that is simply disregarded. You are scarred for life, burdened with the fear you experienced that day forever. Your perception of the world changes drastically. Everything you ever knew is not the same from that moment on. The pain of that memory will always come to torment you. Although many facades can cover it up, it will not ever completely vanish. That is what Rima Mashiro believed was true for her.

She had once been an ordinary child, desiring to be a clown in a circus. She wanted everything like any little girl her age. There was very little that set her apart from everyone else. Perhaps her doll-like appearance was one factor that separated her, but internally, she was no different. However, one night would change her, in so many ways that she did not know for many years.

It started out like any other day. Rima arrived at school, her usual peppy personality gone. Like the other students, she loathed attending school. However, as the day progressed, Rima became more upbeat as she usually was. The grin on her face was impossible to remove. One incident, though, would change this. One moment in her life would make her life turn upside down.

Rima started to walk home, although she was only nine-years-old. Her parents provided her with many freedoms many other kids did not have. Unlike many of the other kids, Rima did not go home with anyone, since she had barely any friends. People knew of her, but no one loved her or bothered to befriend her. Since she was no different from them, they did not find anything too redeeming that would make them want to be her friend. Rima didn't mind; she was blissful in her own world.

She skipped happily home, excited to get back to her house. Her father would be baking his delicious Baked Ziti, and there was nothing Rima preferred to eat over that. She was oblivious to the world around her. This included the tree branch that lay motionless on the ground in front of her. Rima skipped over it, but her foot got caught. Rima yelped in surprise, falling to the ground. She winced in pain, examining her cuts. Her leg was all bruised up, but it wasn't too bad. She suddenly felt the presence of someone else. She glanced up, and saw an older man's eyes on her. He extended his hand. His hair was gone, replaced with a shiny bald head. Tattoos were sprawled across his body, one specifically standing out with an hourglass, one side black and one side the color of the man's pale skin. If Rima had been a few years older, she would have known better than to take the stranger's hand. However, she was an innocent child, foolishly trusting everyone. She took the man's hand, her fingers touching his. Her eyes softened, letting herself go. A large grin began forming on her face, her cheeks puffing up. This was the last smile that Rima would ever have for a long time. The man returned the smile for a brief second, before it rapidly changed into a side smirk. Rima cocked her head to the side, her smile not subsiding for a second.

Before she could blink again, the man grabbed her roughly, and tied her hands together by rope. Rima's mouth opened to scream, but it was quickly stifled by tape. The man dragged her by her hair into a truck. She was tossed into the back of a truck. The door began to close, leaving her in the back of a truck in darkness. She felt the truck below her begin to move. She was petrified in fear; unable to move even if she could. Hot tears ran down her face. Where was she going? What was going on? Endless questions crossed through her mind. The optimism of the happy girl was replaced by the strongest emotion of all; fear.

Finally, the truck seized to a halt. Light finally penetrated its way into the truck, revealing the man who kidnapped her. He looked more menacing than before, with the sunlight stalking him as he stepped closer to her. Rima shivered in fear, sweat pouring down her skin. The man took something out of his bag that Rima couldn't see, and began walking even closer. Rima shut her eyes, frightened. Suddenly, she heard police sirens.

When Rima opened her eyes again, she found herself sobbing into her mother's arms, the tape and ropes removed from her. She had no idea how she was safe, but she didn't care. She was alive and with her mother, and that was all that mattered. The incident scarred her for life, and the carefree girl was now replaced with a cold, uncaring girl, often known as the ice queen. Rima would never know what actually happened that day, until four-years-later, when everything would change forever.

* * *

Screams echoed through the house, as Rima awoke from her sleep. She clutched her blanket close to her, as sweat poured down her body. She thought back to the nightmare she had. As the memories of getting kidnapped came back to her, hot tears fell down her face. She hated when she had those repeating nightmares, or recollection of her kidnapping. Each time, the same memory repeated, with her innocently walking home from school, and then being kidnapped. The same mystery repeated, with Rima immediately appearing at her house after being in the trunk. She became increasingly curious, but decided to disregard it; she was just content to be alive.

Rima was not surprised that her parents did not even notice her screams. They were likely fighting, as usual. She glanced over at her clock, and her eyes widened. It was seven twenty, and school began at seven thirty. Panicking, she threw on her school uniform, and brushed her hair. She went to the door, only to observe her parents fighting. She waited for a moment, waiting for one of them to give her a ride. When neither of them noticed her existence, Rima sighed in annoyance, and departed from the house. She walked to school in a huff, feeling grumpy and morose. The dream made her feel down.

It took her about three minutes to arrive. Since she jogged the whole way, she was exasperated when she got to the school grounds. She panted for a moment, and quickly walked to her classroom. She casually walked into the room, about ten minutes late. Students looked up at her. She ignored them, and sat in her chair. She was relieved to be sitting. Sweat was pouring down her skin.

"Is there a reason why you're late Mashiro-San?" Nikaidou wondered, glancing at her. Rima looked up at him for a minute.

"Overslept," Rima replied bluntly, breathing heavily. She felt the concerned eyes of Amu and Tadase on her, but she chose to ignore them. Nikaidou sighed, and faced the rest of the class.

"As I was saying, today is the last day of school." After that statement, the class erupted in cheers. Nikaidou rolled his eyes. "I get your excitement, but we need to get one final lesson in, alright? Middle school is going to be increasingly difficult, and…"

"Oh who the hell cares?" A student wondered. "We don't do anything in this class; why start now?" Nikaidou opened his mouth to speak, but closed it quickly, muttering something under his breath. The class started talking amongst themselves.

"You alright Rima? You have a very distant look on your face," Amu observed. Rima glanced at Amu for a moment, forcing a small smile.

"Yeah, I-I'm fine," Rima lied, stuttering slightly. Amu and Tadase exchanged glances quickly. A sudden drowsiness swept through Rima. She yawned quietly, and placed her head on her arms. The talking of the class grew quieter, as sleep suddenly possessed Rima.

_"Your time is coming." _A voice whispered in Rima's mind. Rima sat up abruptly, her eyes snapping open. When she looked around, she realized that the class was almost completely empty. It occurred to her that there were people standing right in front of her. She turned to them. Amu and Tadase were standing in front of her. Beside them, there was Nikaidou, along with the other two guardians, Nagihiko and Yaya.

"Rima, thank goodness! You wouldn't wake up no matter what we said!" Amu exclaimed. She hugged Rima suddenly. Rima didn't hug her back, and stood there, confused.

"What… happened?" Rima wondered, yawning.

"You fell asleep while we had class, and you wouldn't wake up," Nikaidou explained. "We were growing worried, but we're glad you woke up."

"How long was I out for?"

"The whole day," Tadase admitted. Rima glanced out the window, realizing that it was not as bright as before. It was afternoon.

"I slept for the whole school day?!" Rima was extremely perplexed at this point. She glanced at Nagihiko and Yaya. "When did you two get here?"

"We were wondering what was taking you guys so long to come to the guardian meeting. I would not have speculated that sleeping beauty was taking a nap. I guess she just needed her prince to wake her up." Rima shot Nagihiko a glare.

"You are _not_ my prince," Rima grumbled. Nagihiko merely chuckled.

"How was your nap Rima-Tan?" Yaya wondered, bouncing up and down. Rima glanced at Yaya.

"I don't know… It was so brief. I had a quick dream, and before I knew it, school was over…" Rima recalled the voice she heard in her dream. What did it mean?

"What was your dream?" Tadase asked.

"It wasn't really a big deal. It was just like any other dream, I guess…" Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Nagihiko giving her a cynical stare. She chose to ignore him.

"I'm glad you're doing better Mashiro-San. Have a good day! Come and visit me any time you guys!" Nikaidou waved to them.

"Good-bye Nikai-Tan! Yaya hopes she has you next year!" Yaya grinned, and led the guardians out of the classroom. They walked to the Royal Guardian, and took their respectful seats.

"So, this is our last guardian meeting as the guardians, for most of us…" Melancholy was apparent on Tadase's face.

"Oh no… Yaya will miss you guys," Yaya whimpered.

"It's not like we'll never see you again," Amu reassured. "Kukai visits all the time!"

"Yeah, but…"

"Yaya-Chan, it's okay. We will all be friends always." Nagihiko smiled.

"Yaya doesn't want you guys to change! Yaya knows that people change in middle school, and Yaya wants you guys to stay just how you are…"

"Yuiki-San, we won't change too much; we'll still be who we are," Tadase told her. Rima wasn't paying attention to them. She thought about her brief dream. Was it a sign of some sort? How come she slept for so long? Why wasn't she able to be awoken?

"Rima-Tan, don't space out on us again!" Rima looked up, glancing around at the others. They were all looking at her.

"Sorry, I-I was just thinking…" Rima sighed. "What were we talking about?"

"What are you going to miss most about Seiyo?" Amu asked.

"Um… The Royal Garden, I guess, although we can just visit anytime, so it doesn't really matter," She muttered.

"That's what Nagi-Tan said too!" Yaya exclaimed. Rima's eyes narrowed, glancing at Nagihiko. He gave her a smirk. She returned his smirk with a glare.

"Anyway, it is getting late, so we should head-" Yaya suddenly broke out in sobs.

"It can't end! I don't want this moment to end!" Yaya screamed, speaking in first-person as she seldom does.

"Everything has to end at some point," Rima murmured.

"Noooo!~" Yaya screeched, tears running down her cheeks. Her eyes grew red and puffy.

"Yaya-Chan, it will be okay," Nagihiko tried to reason, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We'll visit you. We can hang out in the summer."

"It's not the same," Yaya sniffled.

"Remember when Souma-Kun left? You still see him almost every day."

"Still…" Yaya hugged Nagihiko tightly. For some arbitrary reason, Rima felt her heart churn."I love you guys so much…"

"We love you too Yaya," Amu whispered. "Hey guys, I have an idea." Everyone looked up. Yaya let go of Nagihiko, and looked at Amu with watery eyes. "Put your hands in the middle." Everyone did as instructed. Rima did it last, her hand with her unfortunate luck on Nagihiko's. She felt her cheeks redden. "Let's make a promise. We will always be friends, and nothing will ever change that. Alright?"

"I concur." Nagihiko smiled.

"I'm in."

"Yaya agrees!"

"…Sure." Everyone removed their hands, and beamed at each other.

"Friends forever!" Yaya grinned in excitement. Finally, everyone left the Royal Garden. Yaya was crying like a baby, but walked home. Rima called her mother, knowing that she would be reprimanded for walking earlier this morning.

"Hey Rima-Chan, are you waiting for your parent?" Rima didn't need to look up to know who it was. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the indigo-colored hair come closer to her.

"No, I'm waiting for Santa Claus," Rima muttered sarcastically. Nagihiko rolled his eyes at her.

"Well, I'm waiting for my mother as well, so I'll wait with you."

"Cool." Nagihiko sighed.

"Rima-Chan, why are you always so blunt with me? I'm just trying to talk to you as friends, and you don't seem to register that ever. What sets me apart from everyone else?" Rima finally looked up at him. A tiny smile crossed her face.

"You're stupid. That's all."

"Rima-Chan…"

"Look, Nagi, I just…" What Rima saw next, made her freeze. Her train of thought completely left her, suddenly feeling insignificant. There was nothing that mattered more to her than the sight. A look of pure horror struck Rima. She started to shake uncontrollably.

"Rima-Chan, what's wrong?!" Nagihiko wondered, a sudden persistence appearing in his voice. Rima didn't say anything, but she held up a shaky finger. Nagihiko followed where she was pointing. There was a man that looked way too familiar to Rima. The shininess of the bald head had seized her attention. Although there were many bald men that Rima has met in her life, there was one aspect about him that Rima knew it was _him_; the man that kidnapped her four years ago. Although the side smirk was a good indicator, it wasn't as evident as what covered his arm. A familiar hourglass tattoo made Rima almost start to scream. If that wasn't frightening enough, Rima noticed that the side of the hourglass that was black was the opposite that it was four years ago. How could the hourglass change sides? It was just a tattoo. Even though it was a minor detail from many years ago, Rima knew for sure that it had to have changed, since she so vividly remembered the other way. Suddenly, his head started to turn, facing Rima's direction. Rima bit her lip to keep from screaming loudly. Without thinking, she roughly clutched Nagihiko's hand, and started running for her life. Puzzled, Nagihiko followed her. After they were far enough away in Rima's mind, she started panting.

"Rima-Chan, what just happened? Are you okay?" Nagihiko asked anxiously, clearly worried. "You've been acting strange all day." Rima's face was deathly pale. She slowly faced Nagihiko. She fought back hot tears, but she couldn't stop herself from breaking down into sobs. It occurred to Rima that she was still gripping Nagihiko's hand tightly. She felt Nagihiko stroke the top of her hand gingerly. She blushed.

"T-That w-was m-my k-kidnapper…" Rima faltered. Nagihiko's eyes widened.

"How do you know for sure?" Nagihiko asked.

"When something like that happens, you remember specific things," Rima whispered. "He still has that bald head and t-the tattoo of the hourglass…B-But the hourglass, it was colored on the opposite side as before…" Nagihiko nodded slowly.

"Don't worry, you'll be okay," Nagihiko soothed, placing his available arm that was not intertwined with her fingers around her shoulders. A warm sensation filled Rima's chest. It momentarily made her forget about the dire situation. However, that moment of serenity was quickly forgotten. More tears cascaded down her cheeks.

"Nagi, why would he be here? Is he coming to follow me? W-Will he hurt me again? Nagi, I moved from my old town to escape him! He found me again!" Rima's speech was beginning to turn inaudible. Benignly, Nagihiko massaged her shoulders.

"Rima-Chan, I won't let you get harmed in anyway. I'll protect you to the end of the world. Even so, I highly doubt he's after you. It might just be someone that looks like him. You know, just a weird coincidence, like…" Nagihiko stopped speaking, since he was not sure how to reassure her anymore. However, Rima stopped listening to him after he said he would protect her to the end of the world. Rima stared at him, her watery eyes widening.

"N-Nagi…I-I…" A poignant smile formed on Rima's face, as she slid her hand out of his, and wrapped her arms around him. Nagihiko, clearly taken aback, gradually placed his arms around her. Despite knowing that her old kidnapper was nearby, Rima felt protected in her crush's arms.

An obnoxious beeping interrupted the tranquility. Rima glanced up, and suddenly realized who that was. Rima's eyes widened, as she immediately let go of him. She gave him a small wave, and hurried off into the car. She sat in the back seat, without greeting her mother.

"Who was that?" Her mother asked.

"Oh, um, that's my friend. Since it's the last day of school, we were saying goodbye," Rima quickly explained, lying slightly. Her mother did not reply, as she began driving. Rima glanced out the window, searching for her biggest fear. To her dismay, she could not find him anywhere. Rima sighed a breath of relief. She had no idea where he went, but she was pleased that he was nowhere near her. She allowed herself to relax, and think about Nagihiko. She could still feel the security of being in his arms. A dreamy smile crossed her face, despite every bizarre event that occurred that day.

"Rima, the car stopped," Her mother pointed out. Rima's smile subsided, as she immediately left the car. That happened way too frequently today; her spacing out and being delayed in doing something. Rima walked into her house, which immediately resulted in her parents beginning to scream at each other. Rima started to her room.

"Rima! How dare you leave this morning without getting a ride!" Her father reprimanded.

"I-I was in a rush…" Rima muttered.

"Why do you care anyway; it's my job to drive her, as you always say!" Her mother retorted.

"You should care about her well-being; you don't want another kidnapping to occur." They screamed at each other. Darkness formed over Rima's eyes. She still wondered if they were going to her official graduation tomorrow. She walked into her room, and collapsed onto her bed.

"What a long day…" Rima murmured.

"Sure was!" Kusu-Kusu agreed floating up. Rima gave her chara a tiny smile, before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

_"Is the test subject prepared properly?" _

_ "Yes, she is all ready to be experimented on."_

_ "Perfect. Let the fun begin."_

* * *

Rima's eyes snapped open. She looked out her window, to see the sun rising. She, then, glanced over at the clocking, reading it as eight. She sighed a breath of relief; she was not late to her graduation. It began at nine. As Rima stood up, a wave of dizziness swept through her. Rima grabbed something to keep her balance. Shrugging it off, she went to the bathroom, and took a shower. She soon prepared her hair and got dressed. She wore a pink dress that extended to her knees. It matched with a white blouse. She put a pink headband with a white flower in her hair. She straightened her hair as well and put on red lipstick and mascara.

"Mother. Father. I am ready to be driven to the graduation," Rima told them, walking over to them. They both looked up.

"Rima, you look beautiful!" Her mother admired.

"You are growing up…" Her father muttered. Rima smiled softly. She began to feel dizzy again. She tried to ignore it however. She walked out to the car, unknowing of the glances her parents exchanged. She walked into the car, and sat in the back. Her parents drove and parked in the school parking lot. Rima stepped out, and walked to where the other students sat.

"Rima!" Rima turned, and faced Amu. She wore a midnight blue dress and slippers. Rima walked over to her. Nagihiko and Tadase stood beside her. Tadase's blonde hair was combed back neatly, and he wore a red dress shirt with black pants. Nagihiko wore a white dress shirt with a tie and black pants as well. His purple hair was combed back as well. When he saw Rima, she noticed a blush form on his cheeks.

"Rima-Chan, you look beautiful," Nagihiko exclaimed. Rima's face reddened shyly.

"T-Thanks… You look…dumb, like always." Rima winked at him. Nagihiko stuck his tongue out at her. Amu and Tadase exchanged smiles. Rima always had a weird feeling that they were plotting to get Nagihiko and her together. Of course, if they ever asked her about her feelings towards Nagihiko, she would immediately deny it. However, even she knew that it would be a huge lie.

Rima felt her head starting to throb. Painful was an understatement. Rima didn't grip her head, not wanting to show her pain to the others.

"Everyone, get in alphabetical order!" Tsukasa instructed. Rima waved to them, and hurried to the M section. As they took their seats and the graduation ceremony began, Rima's head only began to get worse. She found it difficult to focus on her friends going across the stage.

"Mashiro Rima!" A teacher finally announced. Rima walked across the stage. She found it difficult to walk straight however. Suddenly, memories flooded through her mind. She thought back to the time she got kidnapped. There was more, so much more she had forgotten. How could she forget that? Her eyes widened suddenly, as it all came back to her. She froze in spot, oblivious to the fact that she should be receiving her diploma. The memories were too much for her to handle. She did not know what to think anymore. She could hear voices, instructing her on what to do. The world was spinning faster than she could comprehend. Rima let out a shrill scream, before collapsing to the ground.

**I really hope you all enjoyed this! If you have not read any of my other stories, you will learn that I like using cliffhangers. I know there are a lot of things still unanswered, but I assure you, they will all be answered in later chapters. Keep in mind that this is probably the only chapter where it is shown from Rima's perspective. Also, there won't be nearly as much romance later on. You'll see! Please review/favorite/alert!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I apologize for taking a while to update this. For some reason, every time I prepared myself to write this, I found myself getting distracted. However, having woken up in the morning, I had ideas that were amazing. Thus, this story became so much darker, darker than I would have initially thought. Anyway, I own nothing, and I hope you enjoy! Warning: there are some dark topics that are spoken of, and described slightly (nothing too bad, but still). If this bothers you, I suggest you don't read. However, I highly doubt it is too awful. **_  
_

_Boom! _The sound of the graduate making contact with the ground echoed through the entire auditorium. There was a moment of dead silence before panic erupted. People were screaming.

"Oh my god…" Amu whispered, watching in horror as a crowd of people started to gather around her friend. There was no movement visible from her. Amu felt a comforting hand on her shoulder of her boyfriend. Unlike ordinary times, she was not blushing insanely or hyperventilating. She was too concerned with her best friend that lay unconscious.

"Call the ambulance!" Someone shouted, unrecognizable to Amu. She turned around the room, and noticed the frightened looks that were shared amongst all of Rima's fanboys that were graduating with her. Beside her, stood Tadase who looked ghostly pale, and Nagihiko. Nagihiko's façade was completely vanished. The worry in his eyes was impossible not to see. He, clearly, was extremely concerned about Rima. Amu always figured that there was some chemistry between Rima and Nagihiko. Of course, Rima was almost as stubborn as Amu herself, so she would never admit it.

"Please everyone, stay calm!" The voice of their principal, Tsukasa Amakawa, echoed throughout the auditorium. "We called up an ambulance." Amu exchanged glances with Tadase and Nagihiko. Despite Tsukasa's demand, chaos filled up the auditorium.

The loud sirens of an ambulance were unmistakable. A lot of pediatrics ran out of the ambulances, and made their way to Rima. Finally, everyone became silent. The pediatrics surrounded her. Suddenly, she began to stir. Her eyes gradually opened.

"She's waking!" Amu exclaimed. Everyone watched in dead silence as Rima blinked a couple of times.

"Are you alright?" A pediatric asked. Rima looked at him for a second. When she saw him, she started screaming. She jumped backward, and screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Rima!" Rima's mother clapped her hand over her daughter's mouth. She glanced worriedly at her husband. The exchanged glances made Amu cock her eyebrow suspiciously. She knew that they detested each other, from the bit Rima spoke of them.

"She doesn't need hospital attention," Rima's father whispered. "She will be just fine. We just need to take her home."

"She passed out; we should take her to make sure she's okay…"

"No, she'll be just fine," Rima's mother spoke. She stood up, removing her hand from Rima's mouth. "Darling, please stand." Rima looked up at her mother, with shaky eyes. She complied, rising to her feet. Her mother patted her head. A wide smile formed across Rima's face.

"She reminds me of a little child…" Tadase whispered. "Just the way that her parents are treating her, and even her behavior."

"You're right. Rima-Chan never smiles…" Nagihiko's voice trailed off. Rima's father stuck out his hand, and Rima took it. The Mashiro family exited the auditorium. The pediatrics went back to the ambulance as well, and drove away.

"…I suppose it is foolish to resume the graduation. Students, if you have not been called, please come receive your diplomas." All of the students, most of the "M"s and the letters below went up to Tsukasa to receive their diplomas. Amu, Tadase, and Nagihiko all stayed close, having already been called.

"Tadase?" Tadase turned, facing his mother, father, sister, and his grandma. Tadase gave his family a small smile. When he noticed the presence of his grandma, Tadase's mouth dropped open. She was on a walker, and it was extremely apparent that she was ill.

"G-Grandma! What are you doing here; you should be resting!" Tadase exclaimed.

"Grandma wanted to see you graduate. Shall we leave Tadase?" Tadase gave Amu and Nagihiko small smiles, before following his family out of the auditorium.

"Nagi, I think I see your mother," Amu observed. Nagihiko peered in the direction that Amu directed.

"Yeah… See you later Amu-Chan." He lowered his voice. "We'll visit her soon." Amu nodded, watching as Nagihiko walked towards his family. She watched as Baaya hugged Nagihiko gently, and his mother not even embracing him. She said something to Nagihiko, and he merely nodded in response, without a smile.

"ONEE-CHAN!" Amu slowly turned, only to have Ami jump into her arms. Surprised, Amu gradually placed her arms on Ami's back.

"Congratulations Amu!" Amu's mother smiled.

"Smile!" Amu groaned, as her father snapped a photo of Ami and her. Ami finally let go, and her father handed Amu flowers. Amu thanked him, and followed her family out of the auditorium.

"Who was that girl that passed out?" Amu's mother wondered. Amu sighed.

"Her name is Rima. She… we're close friends…"

"She came over once, didn't she?" Amu's father asked. Amu nodded. "At least she woke up. She seems to be doing better, right?"

"Yeah…" Amu still wasn't entirely convinced though.

* * *

Even though three days passed, the memory of Rima passing out and her shrill screams replayed in Nagihiko's mind. Now that there was no more school, he had even more time to speculate about what happened. Many times, he thought about the day before, and how she saw her kidnapper. Maybe she had been panicking because of that? Nagihiko was unsure. He had called Rima's cell phone numerous times in the past few days as well, but not once did she pick up.

"Nagihiko, your dancing is extremely off," His mother scolded. "Ever since your graduation, it seems like you've been distracted."

"No mother, I'm alright," Nagihiko lied, smiling. "I suppose I am still adjusting to the idea of being graduated…" He was surprised that his mother could not figure out the truth. She had not said one word to Nagihiko about Rima. It was as if she didn't even notice a girl passed out and ruined the entire graduation. Suddenly he heard his phone ring. He excused himself, and went to pick it up.

"Hello?" He asked into the phone, without looking at the caller ID.

"Hey Nagi it's Amu. Are you available to come to the Royal Garden today in an hour or so?"

"Yeah that's fine. Have you heard anything from…?"

"No, but that is what I wanted to talk about. I was thinking about visiting her. So, just come to the Royal Garden if you can, alright?"

"Alright, see you soon." Nagihiko hung up his phone. He glanced up at his mother. "I'm going to go somewhere with my friends."

"Make sure to come home later. Your dancing could be significantly improved." Nagihiko merely nodded, and went to change.

* * *

Finally, Nagihiko arrived at the Royal Garden. Since he had been wearing makeup and a dress, the whole undressing process allowed him to be the last to arrive. He smiled at everyone, before taking his seat.

"Congrats guys!" Yaya squealed. "Yaya knew you guys would graduate!" She glanced around. "Where's Rima-Tan? Did she not graduate? Ooh did she fail?" The other three exchanged nervous glances.

"No one told you Yaya?" Amu wondered.

"I thought you were going to," Tadase admitted. He sighed, and faced Yaya. He explained everything that happened to Rima at the graduation.

"Poor Rima-Tan! What happened to make her pass out?"

"We don't know… That's why we wanted to visit her," Nagihiko explained.

"Ooh… Let's go then! To Rima-Tan's we go!" Yaya stood up, and grinned, putting her thumbs up.

"Amu-Chan, do you know where she lives?" Tadase asked.

"Uh… yeah! I've been there once to drop off something. You were with me, remember Tadase-Kun?"

"Oh that's right. I almost forgot." Tadase smiled at Amu, who smiled back. Nagihiko rolled his eyes and Yaya coughed loudly. Yaya grinned at Nagihiko, who smiled weakly back. Amu and Tadase blushed, as everyone began leaving the Royal Garden. Amu and Tadase walked ahead of Nagihiko and Yaya.

* * *

Finally, they arrived at Rima's house. The four of them watched the house for a moment, and glanced at each other.

"So… who's going first?" Amu wondered. "Her parents are frightening…"

"Yaya will!" Yaya grinned. She ran up to the front door, and rang the door bell repeatedly.

"Yuiki-San! It's impolite to do that!" Tadase scolded. Amu, Tadase, and Nagihiko made their way behind Yaya. Yaya turned around, and stuck her tongue at him. The door opened, revealing Rima's mother.

"Hello Mrs. Mashiro, my name is-"

"Don't address me as that," She ordered. "It's Ms. Fortuna."

"I apologize. Anyway, I am Amu Hinamori; I believe we have met before." Rima's mother nodded. "These are my friends; Nagihiko Fujisaki, Tadase Hotori, and Yaya Yuiki. We are close friends with your daughter, Rima…"

"You are the guardians, I presume?" All four of them nodded. "I don't have a super close relationship with Rima, but the little she speaks is of you guys. You, Miss Hinamori, you were the one that convinced my husband and I to allow Rima to stay, if I am not mistaken." Amu nodded slowly. "That was a wise decision. Thank you for that."

"Rima is my best friend, well, she's all of ours. We care about her. We came by to see-"

"Yes, I know why you're here. Please, come in." Rima's mother beckoned them inside. "Make yourselves comfortable." She gestured towards the couch. They obeyed, and sat down on the couch beside each other.

"Who's here?" Rima's father walked towards them. To the guardians' dismay, Rima's mother smiled at him.

"Hello Daisuke. These are friends of Rima's; the guardians." He nodded, and smiled at the four of them.

"It's an honor to meet you all."

"Yaya thought that Rima-Tan's parents hated each other?" Yaya whispered loudly.

"Yaya!" Nagihiko hissed. Both of her parents chuckled nervously, evidently hearing Yaya.

"Don't worry about it. We have treated each other terribly. I suppose Rima bad-mouths us?" They hesitated before nodding. "Figures. Well, it's rather complicated. It has to do with Rima's well-being. However, you didn't come here to hear about our relationship. I will go get my daughter." Rima's mother walked up the staircase.

"Would you guys like anything to eat or drink?" Rima's father asked kindly. Yaya opened her mouth to speak, but Amu quickly covered it.

"We're content, thank you for asking." Nagihiko replied politely.

"If the pigtailed girl wants, that's okay." Amu hesitated before pulling her hand off of Yaya's mouth.

"YAYA WANTS CANDY AND CHOCOLATE AND COOKIES!" Yaya practically screamed.

"Unfortunately, we don't have all of that, but I do have Oreos, if you want that. Would you like milk with that?" Yaya nodded her head frantically. He gave Yaya an almost saddened expression, as he went to get the cookies.

"That was a weird look…" Nagihiko observed. "He appeared… quite morose."

"Wow Nagi-Tan you were so polite before! Trying to impress your future father-in-law?" Nagihiko's eyes dilated.

"W-What?!" Nagihiko exclaimed, blushing furiously. Yaya smirked evilly. "W-We're not even-" He was cut off by the presence of a petite girl. Her blonde hair was wavy as always with a pink headband. She wore a light pink dress that resembled a nightgown. She was holding a teddy bear underneath her left arm. Behind her, stood her mother. Although she was short as well, her height prevailed over Rima. Her father walked over as well, and placed Oreos on the table in front of the guardians. Yaya didn't even pay attention.

"Rima, these are your friends, the Guardians. Why don't you say hello?" Rima stared at the four of them. She studied each one of them individually, before peering back up at her mother.

"Maybe you should all reintroduce yourselves? It will make her feel more comfortable." Her father suggested. The four of them glanced at each other quickly. Amu sighed, and stepped forward. Rima faced Amu.

"H-Hey… It's me, Amu Hinamori. I…W-We're best friends," Amu stammered. Rima's expression remained stoic.

"What happened to her?" Tadase asked, facing her parents.

"We'll explain… Just tell her who you are and your relationship with her." Rima's father whispered. Tadase turned to Rima.

"M-Mashiro-San… I'm Hotori Tadase, and I'm a friend of yours."

"Yaya Yuiki, at your service! Rima-Tan, you're like Yaya's partner-in-crime! We always get along even though we're like opposites! Hi-five sister!" Yaya extended her hand, and Rima did not react at all. Yaya pouted, awkwardly lowering her hand. Nagihiko stood up, and faced Rima. With difficulty, he forced a smile onto his face.

"Hello Rima-Chan. I am Nagihiko Fujisaki, and we…" Nagihiko pondered for a moment. There were so many words that could be used to describe their friendship. Half the time, Rima acted like she hated him more than everything else. However, judging from when Rima saw her kidnapper, it was pretty evident that Rima had a crush on him, and he knew he did for sure. Suddenly, a word came to Nagihiko that seemed impeccably fitting. "Well, I suppose you could define our relationship as a rivalry…" Rima reached out for his hair. Nagihiko allowed her to twirl his hair around her fingers. He attempted to conceal his blush. Rima giggled. He gave her an extremely tiny smile. The other three watched, intrigued. Rima removed her hand from Nagihiko's hair, and he sat down, but watched her keenly.

"Rima, do you remember them? The connections you had with them?" Rima glanced up at her father. She cocked her head to the side. "Rima, these four…they're your best friends. You can trust them." Rima faced the four of them again.

"Mama, I don't trust them," Rima whispered. She started to shake.

"But Ri-" Amu's mouth was swiftly covered by Nagihiko's hand.

"I apologize for the behavior of our daughter; s-she just…"

"Mama, make them leave! Make them leave! MAKE THEM LEAVE!" Rima started to cry. The other guardians exchanged glances.

"Hush darling, shh, they won't hurt you. You're safe now…" Rima's sobs became hysterical. Rima's mother stood up, gently helping Rima to her feet as well. She glanced at Rima's father. "I'm going to take her back to her room. Explain to her friends what's going on." He nodded, watching as Rima's mother guided Rima to her room, and attempted to soothe her.

Rima's father took a long breath before beginning to speak. He turned to face the remaining guardians. "I am truly sorry that I have to be telling you this. I wish that our daughter was okay forever and we never need to have this issue. However, we knew it was going to happen to her. It was inevitable. Four years ago, Rima was kidnapped, as you might know. From her perspective, she was shoved into a truck, and then immediately rescued by the police and brought to us. She believes that my… wife and I hate each other because of that incident. However, none of that is the truth."

"Rima was nine-years-old when a man kidnapped her. The hourglass tattoo on his arm stood out to Rima when she used to describe him." Nagihiko shivered suddenly, recalling the tattoo on the man's arm and Rima's fear. "He threw her into his truck, and began to drive away…"

* * *

"Mama, w-why are t-they here?" Rima faltered, curling in a ball underneath her blankets.

"They came to visit you, to see how you are. Don't worry about them Rima. Just relax. You'll feel much better." Rima's mother stroked her hair. A small smile crept on Rima's face, and shortly after, she fell into a deep sleep. Rima's mother kissed the top of her head, and walked away. Rima's peaceful slumber was interrupted by a terrible memory.

* * *

_The man made his way closer to her. Rima tried to scream in fear, but the tape on her mouth prevented her. She fastened her eyes shut, and shivered. Suddenly, all consciousness was taken from her. _

_ A few hours later, Rima woke up, finding herself in an enclosed room. She glanced around, allowing the scenery to process in her mind. Behind her, she felt a few pairs of eyes studying her. She pivoted around, finding herself face to face with a group of men holding needles. Rima backed up and whimpered slightly._

_ "Relax darling. We won't hurt you. Trust us. We're going to help you." Rima was slightly uncertain. She was told not to speak to strangers, but they seemed kind. Besides, her mother and father always said she could speak to them if they would help her. Rima relaxed, although she was still a bit nervous. Suddenly, she felt someone touch her from behind. Turning rapidly, she noticed another man who was pulling her to the ground gently. She relaxed. _

_ "Excuse me darling, could you remove your clothing? We're performing a full examination, and we need to see your whole body." Rima complied, slowly slipping off her clothes. The men snickered slightly, reminding Rima of the villains in cartoons. They wouldn't hurt her, right? They said she could trust them. _

_ "Relax darling. Just lay down." Rima did as she was told, lying down on the ground. She felt slightly weird being naked in front of them. She was seldom naked in front of her father, and that was only when she was a child. The only man she was naked around was the doctor when he was checking on her. Were these doctors? Probably. That's what Rima began to make herself believe. _

_ "Is the test subject prepared properly?" All of the other men glanced up, facing the man with the hourglass tattoo._

_ "Yes, she is ready to be 'experimented' on," Another man told him, smirking. _

_ "Perfect. Let the fun begin." The other men watched as the hourglass man made his way towards Rima. "Hello darling, what's your name?" He took the tape briefly off of her mouth. Rima watched him._

_ "R-Rima," She whispered._

_ "Well hello there, Rima. We're going to have some fun. You'll never forget this." Rima smiled innocently. She liked to have fun. However, the definition of fun seemed to be extremely different for the hourglass man. He pulled off his shirt, and punched Rima roughly in the face. She started to scream, but the tape was back on her mouth within seconds. "Don't try to escape Rima; it won't work." He suddenly injected a needle within her skin. Hot tears ran down her cheeks._

_ "What was the point of that?"Another man asked. _

_ "She will experience fainting spells so she can pass out and make it easier," The hourglass man explained. "However, it is more fun to leave her awake." He pulled down his pants. Rima's eyes widened, as she attempted to look away. She whimpered. The man made his way closer to her, and placed his arms around her. He was only a few inches above her now, his arms and legs being the only things that kept him above her. Rima shivered. "Are you ready for the endless fun?" Rima tried to shake her head. He placed his cold hands on her chest, and gradually lowered himself. Rima shut her eyes, and tried to imagine herself anywhere else. _

_ Miraculously, a door suddenly opened, revealing police officers. The sirens made Rima relax. The man got off of her, and faced the police officers. Rima shivered, and curled into a ball, placing her head within her knees. _

_ "Are you okay?" The police officer asked. Rima looked at him. He took the tape off of her mouth. Rima backed away._

_ "Stay the hell away from me!" She bellowed. She didn't trust anyone._

_ "I won't hurt you."_

_ "That's what he said…" Rima gestured toward the hourglass man who was now being handcuffed. Other police officers were shoving pants back on him. _

_ "I'm a police man; do you know what a police man does?" Rima nodded briskly. She was still frightened though. Suddenly, she felt extremely dizzy. Her eyes closed, and she passed out. _

_ Although Rima was still unconscious, she could still hear voices. They sounded familiar; it was her parents and someone else._

_ "What happened to your daughter was traumatizing. Although she was not actually raped, she was close. She will be messed up probably permanently."_

_ "Is there anything you can do to help her?" Her father whispered. _

_ "I can do something, but it won't help forever…" The voice of the other woman sounded solemn. _

_ "What is it?" Her mother wondered, anxiety present in her voice._

_ "I can temporarily tamper with her memories, make her forget. She won't forget everything however. She will still remember that she was kidnapped, but the raping attempt will be erased. However, the memories can still be triggered. If she is exposed to too much affection or happiness, she will regain the memories." The voice stopped momentarily. "Are you two good at acting?" _

_ "What do you want us to do?!"_

_ "I need you two to act like you detest each other. Make it convincing. Act like you are getting a divorce, but don't actually. I hate to tell you this, but the rest of her life needs to be miserable. Any happiness she has must be contained, in order to trigger the memories. Are you willing to take that risk?" _

_ "…Yes." Her father whispered. _

_ "We need some time to prepare the medication. Give us a few hours." After that, it was silent. Rima opened her eyes, however later, and began to cry silently. She found that she was suddenly clothed. Although what her parents and the other person were talking about Rima didn't understand, she did understand one part. She couldn't be happy. All of her dreams of becoming a clown were gone._

_ "I wish I could be happy, and have someone to make me laugh when I'm down…" Rima murmured quietly. She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, there was still silence. Rima slammed her fist on the table beside her in frustration, and cried louder. Finally, some doctors walked in, holding a needle. Rima screamed at the top of her lungs. She remembered the needle that the scary men were holding. She attempted to escape. Two doctors held her back. Rima screamed and began hyperventilating. _

_ "We're sorry…" Gradually, the doctors injected the needle within her skin. Rima's consciousness, once again, was lost. _

_ When she woke up again, she found herself sobbing into her mother's arms. The only thing she remembered was being driven away in a truck. Sirens had rescued her. How she was safe, she had no idea, but she was safe, and that was all that mattered. Her mother took her up to her room, and shut the door. Rima was oblivious to the clear melancholic expression on her mother's face. Rima collapsed on her bed, and sobbed. Finally, when sobbing seemed pointless, Rima glanced up and saw a red egg. Puzzled she lifted it in her hand. It felt warm. Sighing, Rima closed her eyes once again._

* * *

After Rima's father finished, the guardians were speechless. There was nothing to be said that would ease the situation at hand. Rima's mother had joined them, and both parents were crying. The guardians were in shock, too much to comfort them.

"W-We should go. W-We're overstaying our welcome," Tadase whispered, the waver in his voice apparent. All four of the guardians stood up, and left the Mashiro House, without having anything to say. They walked for a while, in utter silence.

"Hey guys! I heard Rima passed out during the graduation; is she alright?" All four of them looked up, aware of Kukai's sudden presence. Suddenly, Yaya burst into tears. "Yaya! What happened?!" Kukai hugged her.

"We need some time…" Amu whispered.

"What happened to Rima?!" Kukai's expression grew serious. "Is she okay… Oh god, she's not…"

"She's alive." Tadase interrupted. "She just… She…"

"We need some time to comprehend everything, and then we'll tell you, okay?" Amu promised. Kukai nodded slowly.

"I… I guess I'll take Yaya home then?" Kukai waved to the three of them, and walked away, puzzled.

"Poor Rima…" Amu whispered. "I never would have guessed… I suppose she wouldn't have either… Oh my god…" Tadase put an arm comfortingly around her shoulders, but he was clearly upset as well.

"Let's sit down." Tadase told her.

"I'll catch you guys later." Tadase and Amu glanced up at Nagihiko, forgetting he was there. Darkness covered his eyes.

"Nagi…"

"Please, I don't want to talk." Nagihiko walked away. He walked home, although the entire walk was a daze. He entered his house.

"Nagihiko-San! It's time to practice; you've been out all day and you have to make up-"

"I need to rest… I'm sorry mother, but I can't focus…" Nagihiko's mother glanced up, as Nagihiko went to his room. He sat on his bed, and sighed. It was difficult to comprehend. He did not want to associate the words Rima and rape attempt together. Pity was an understatement. He felt like he had been treating Rima wrong for the year, not even, that they knew each other. Everything that he ever thought about Rima was changed.

**Review/Favorite/Alert!~ Thanks to everyone who did on the first chapter!**


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